The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for administering liquids and suspensions to a patient able to swallow but otherwise unable to independently ingest the liquid, medication or suspension, and will be described herein as applied to such use. As used herein, the term "patient" should be broadly construed to include human as well as veterinary patients.
In addition, the term "suspension" should be broadly construed to encompass both mixtures of two or more medications, or a medication and a liquid, where one of the constituents is in a powder or other solid form, as well as nutritional supplements, such as but not limited to purees of different foods.
For a variety of different reasons, oral administration of liquids or suspensions to patients can sometimes be difficult. For example, when attempting to orally administer a dose of liquid medicine to a child the usual method is to employ a spoon, either of a type specific to a certain measure, or a standard household spoon. However, if the child refuses to take the medication, it is difficult to administer it without some loss. Where medication is spilled as a result of attempting to administer it to an uncooperative child, more is often given to compensate for the amount lost. This sometimes results in over-medicating the child. The same difficulty is encountered when attempting to administer liquids, medications, or other suspensions to veterinary patients.
In addition to the difficulties associated with the oral administration of liquids or suspensions to juvenile and veterinary patients, the problem sometimes occurs where a patient is able to swallow, but otherwise cannot autonomously ingest the liquid, medication or suspension. This is particularly true with patient suffering from varying degrees of paralysis in the mouth and jaw area resulting from a stroke or other affliction. In these instances the use of a spoon or cup can be ineffective because the patient is unable to move the muscles necessary to transport the administered liquid, medication or suspension from the lips to the throat where it can be swallowed. While medications can be administered via injection or intravenously, a feeding tube is often necessary to provide nutrients to the patient. This results in discomfort to patients who would otherwise be able to swallow the liquids, medication or suspensions if the point of delivery was moved adjacent to the patient's throat.
Based on the foregoing, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a device for orally administering liquids, medications, or suspensions to patients, that overcomes the above-described problems and drawbacks of prior art devices.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a device that places the point of delivery of the liquids, medications, or suspensions adjacent to the patient's throat.